Elira stood frozen, staring at the place where Malveric had vanished.
But the shadows gathered again — curling like ink, and slowly… he reappeared.
His crimson eyes locked onto hers, calmer now. Calculated.
"You want to know what binds you to the mirror?"
She hesitated. "Yes."
He stepped closer, and for once, the mockery left his voice.
"You were once its queen."
Her breath caught. "What…?"
"Long before Prince Elric was ever born… there was King Edward, the 23rd ruler of the mirror kingdom. A man of might and war… and fear."
The room around them shifted, flickering — and suddenly, illusions rose like smoke.
She saw herself — or someone who looked like her — in a crown of silver vines, walking down a grand mirrored aisle beside a tall, handsome king.
"You were his bride," Malveric continued. "A mirror-chosen queen. More powerful than him. And he… couldn't stand it."
Elira whispered, "He killed me."
Malveric nodded slowly.
"In his jealousy, yes. You died betrayed. Slain by the one who vowed to love you. And because of that crime… the mirror cursed the royal bloodline. The beast form. The madness. The warping of soul and skin. It all began the night he broke the sacred bond between the mirror and its chosen."
The vision shattered.
"So now," he continued, voice softer, darker, "each prince bears the mark of his crime. Each heir suffers the curse. And none — not even Lysandra — dared speak your name."
Elira's head was spinning. "Why me? Why now?"
Malveric circled her like a shadow.
"Because you've returned. Reborn, summoned… called back through fate and glass. And this time, you don't have to suffer. You don't have to kneel."
He stopped, inches from her.
"Kill Elric. End the cursed bloodline. Take back the throne that's been waiting for you. No more visions. No more shackles. The mirror will obey you. The kingdom will kneel. And I… will make sure you never fall again."
Elira stared at him — torn, trembling.
Her past was bleeding into her present.
Queen. Betrayed. Cursed.
Could it be true?
And if it was…
What would she do now?